New Sponsor: Blended Beauty

I wanted to introduce you all to our new sponsor, Blended Beauty! I'm sure most of you are familiar with this company, they make fabulous natural products for adults and children. I have been using their products for a while now (specifically down and out styles) and have loved all of them. Blended Beauty will be launching a line of luxury sleep caps soon so make sure you look out for that! I'm pretty excited about that myself. :) I hope you will join us in welcoming Blended Beauty and check out their website! Use coupon code 'curly' at checkout for a discount. You can sign up for their newsletter on their websites to be up to date on all their discounts and promotions.

via BlendedBeauty.com

Blended Beauty hair care products were designed specifically for the needs of those with dry, wavy, curly, kinky, and relaxed or heat-straightened hair.


Our main goal is to provide superior quality products that beautify the look of the hair but also nourish the hair from the inside out, promoting healthy growth and diminishing breakage. All our products are formulated with naturally derived ingredients and are between 98%-99% natural.


Our mission is to encourage those with curly hair, to realize its beauty and embrace it. Whatever your hair type is, you can wear it natural and love it. Chemicals, petroleum, mineral oil, and relaxing can be a thing of the past, on a Blended Beauty regimen. Our suggestions for promoting great hair have been laid out on the hair tips page for the benefit of our customers.

Cornrows & Sister/Rope Twists Braided to the Side

This is the style I did on A's banded hair. I did this over the course of 3 days because I started during the school week and we didn't want to sit for long periods of time. I absolutely love the look of sister/rope twists! I actually tried to make a video tutorial but for some reason the tripod would not stay straight up, it kept falling down so I gave up after 3 tries. I will have to figure it out because I really want to post more tutorials.

Instructions:

• Again, I started on stretched hair from banding. If you are not familiar with banding, please check out our banding frequently asked questions post.
• I began by parting a section near her left ear for the first cornrow. If you do not know how to cornrow, please check out our cornrowing for beginners post.
• I continued cornrowing three sections near her left ear, then I moved on to the other side at her hairline. I cornrowed three sections on that side then went back to the other side. No reason in particular, this is just how I like to do it. You can certainly stay on one side until you reach the other side.
• At the end of each cornrow I took the three sections and made them into just two sections by borrowing hair from the middle section and adding it into the right and left section. 
• After I had two sections of hair I began doing a sister twist, otherwise known as rope twist. This is not a regular two strand twist. You simply begin twisting one section clockwise and the other section counter clockwise as you twist all the way down. Continue this twisting motion (twist one section to the right and one to the left) until you reach the ends. Please check out this sister twist video tutorial. Once you get to the end of the twist, roll the ends between your index and thumb several times to make sure the twist stays.
• After I cornrowed and twisted the top, I parted the hair horizontally at the nape of the neck and tied the rest of the hair off to get it out of my way. I parted small squares using the end of our metal rat tail comb and began doing the sister/rope twist. I did this to all of the remaining hair until I was finished.
• To make this style look less basic and a little more creative, I gathered the twists coming from the cornrows and started cornrowing the twists all the way to the left side near her ear and tied the cornrow off with a black ouchless band.
• I used Bee Mine Curly Butter (BBBHOT will get you 10% off your purchase) and unrefined coconut oil for this style.
• Please note, I prefer doing the sister/rope twists on dry, stretched hair because it shows length a lot more. I find that when I do this style on wet or damp hair the twists curl up a lot more, don't hold as well and tend to be more frizzy.

Big Natural Hair From Banding

Details:

• A's hair was washed with Kinky Curly Come Clean Shampoo
• After rinsing the shampoo I detangled with Herbal Essences Hello Hydration conditioner mixed with unrefined coconut oil and extra virgin olive oil (amazing detangling session!).
• I rinse the conditioner and applied a very generous amount of Bee Mine Luscious Moisturizer (love that stuff! BBBHOT will get you 10% off your purchase)
• I applied unrefined coconut oil and extra virgin olive oil over the moisturize
• I banded A's hair in 5 sections
• The next day I removed the bands, detangled with the Denman D3 and here are the results!

A great way to show off her big, long, natural hair without all the tangles.

Her outfit is from Gap during their 50% off previously reduced items sale. Check out our Facebook page and look in the album named "Deals & Steals" for more information. Don't forget to "Like" it while you're there! :)

Shampooing and Detangling A Young Child's Natural Hair

LV of natural-ness.com shares an alternative hair washing method for washing and detangling a young child's hair.

A's Hair Updates

A has been wearing lots of two strand twists, twist outs and just out styles lately. Nothing too special but I wanted to give a quick update. She will be going back to protective styles very soon! :)

Basic two strand twists in the picture above. She had been playing in the water so they are wet. I used Lil Better Butter (review soon).

She wore a high bun (no filler) so the Hispanic Festival. I wrapped the braid with ribbon (came with her outfit) around her bun and pinned it. I used Kinky Curly Curling Custard to slick the bun down.

We met some readers of our blog, aren't they fab?!

I tried a new product in the picture above. I gave her some quick cornrows going half back and she wore a braid out from 4 large braids.

Wearing her hair all out.

This is a twist out using Curls Whipped Cream. I think she had close to 30 twists in overnight for this look,

This is what her twist out looked like when I picked her up (I had to change her for gym). Not too bad but definitely not as defined as it was. I think it had a lot to do with her playing outside and going to gym. I will try this again before our full review.

So there you have it! How has your child been wearing their hair lately?

Criss Cross Cornrowed Headband & Box Braids

Guest post by Aisha of Braid With Me

Let me start by saying that I apologize for our absence. Education is very important to us and that has been our main focus. I hope that you can understand.

Now back to this style!!! For the September Hair Carnival, I was paired with the very talented onceuponacurl.blogspot.com. According to her blog, "Once Upon a Curl strives to provide affordable and Quality hair care products to children and parents of all colors. Our main goal is to reach those who otherwise have no access to products they like and need to take care of and maintain curly types of hair." In addition to offering products, she loves to style natural hair! Please visit her blog and Facebook fan page for more info on this wonderful blogger.

For this style, I decided to combine her love for freestyle cornrows and my love for protective styles such as box braids. I also decided to copy fellow blogger charlottesavenue.blogspot.com love for braided headbands. If you haven't checked out her blog, you are missing out!! She covers natural hair, parenting and everything in between!

I started with clean, detangled, moisturized hair that had been banded for a couple of days.

Next, I began adding medium box braids starting at the nape area and working my way up. I was unable to finish the style on this particular day, so I added two twisted ponytails in the front section and secured them with ouchless bands.

The following day, I began adding freestyle cornrows in the front section in preparation for the braided headband. Although it is not visible in this photo due to the bow, the two overlapping cornrows lead into three cornrows.

The Results!!!

Do you find inspiration from others? Please share your thoughts!!

Stayed tuned for the update!!

Diva Spotlight: Alexis

Tell us a little about yourself & your daughter:
My name is Johnique and my little princess name is Alexis. Her nickname is Lexi. She's has two brothers Brandon (10 years old) and Jalen, who is 10 months. Alexis' is a daddy girls who loves to wear dresses.

Alexis and family

Alexis and mom

What is your daughter's hair care routine?
I wash and style Alexis' hair every Sunday. It's our little Sunday afternoon tradition. It's a fun activity for me because it reminds me of my mom doing my hair on Sundays for the school week. But I must admit, it can sometimes be frustrating because lately I've been experimenting with "fancy" hairstyles. They turn out nice in the end but Alexis does get fussy sometimes while I'm braiding her hair. One of our fancy hairstyles was the "Cornrows & Hearts - Valentine's Day Style" from this awesome site.

What kind of products do you use on her hair?
I use Miss Jessie's Super Slip Sudsy Shampoo. I really like the smell and how the shampoo lathers. After I shampoo, I usually spray Alexis hair with Carol Daughters' Black Vanilla Leave-In Conditioner. I keep Alexis' hair moisturized with Jane Carter's Nourish & Shine or Carol Daughters' Tui Hair Oil. My goal is to keep the whole process simple by just using just a few basic products; shampoo, conditioner and moisturizer.

Have you ever used chemicals on her hair?
I don't plan to use any chemical treatments on her hair. I will allow her to make that decision when she's older and on her own. I just want her to know that her hair is beautiful the way it is.

Can we see a few of your favorite styles?
Yes.

How did you learn to do all of this?
I learned by practicing different styles (and I must admit I'm still learning). We usually check out Beads, Braids & Beyond for inspiration. I try to put my own spin on many of the hairstyles that we find online.

How does your daughter feel about her hair?
Alexis loves her hair, she loves to get a new hairstyle each week. She looks forward to the time we spend together as I wash and style her hair, while she does the same for her doll.

Can we see her favorite style?
Her favorite hairstyle is ponytails, two big ponies. [pictured above]

If you had to share one hair care tip, what would it be?
I would say find that the products and routine that works for you and stick with it. Oftentimes, we spend a lot of time and money trying all these things only to be disappointed. Do try many fun hairstyles but keep your routine simple.

Guinness World Records Largest Afro

Amazing

Congrats Aevin Dugas!

Check out BGLH for more info!

Diva Spotlight: Ladybug

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Tell us a little about yourself & your daughter:
Hi my name is Tonda and I am the mother of this 4yr old (future DIVA) Ladybug! We are both natrual I did the BC last October.....I currently don't do all that I should for mines bc I'm more focused on hers. I have not quite figured out her "hair type" yet...I wpould probably say some whee arond the 4b & 4c area...she had really tight curls and really thick!

Mommy Tonda and Ladybug
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What is your daughter's hair care routine?
I wash her hair every other week and do a co-wash in between. We do a pre-poo before every wash with conditioner and unrefined coconut oil, and we detangle and section the hair off in about 6-7 sections in fat 2 strand twist. Because her hair tangles really bad we wash the hair while its still in the twist. We try to deep condition 2-3 times a month because she has really dry hair, but we most definitley do twice a month. She sleeps witha satin scarf/cap and sleeps on a satin pillow case.

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What kind of products do you use on her hair?
We have yet to find a "staple" product. We are currently using Bee Mine products.......we are loving the luscious moisturizer, Bee Lovely Daily conditioner, Bee Loved Hair & Scalp moisturizer, and curly butter. We also use a spray mix with conditioner, water, and oils in spray bottle and spray as a detangler and refresher. For oils we normally use extra virgin olive oil,jojoba oil, castor oil, and the coconut oil by itself. We also use a few of Taliah Waajid products her mist bodifier and curl cream.

Have you ever used chemicals on her hair?
Holding head in shame....YES.....I let my mom and cousins talk me into letting her do a texturizer bc they convinced me that it would make her hair more "manageble".....OMG what a BIG mistake!! Her hair completely changed and became really thin and felt very rough. And although I have not always known much about hair I've always known the basics of taking care of hair and her hair was well maintained and we still had a lot of breakage and her texture completely changed. So from then on I never put the chemicals back in. I started paying more attention to her hair and we cut her hair like every two weeks until the texturizer was gone.

Can we see a few of your favorite styles?
SURE

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How did you learn to do all of this?
I would say from growing up with a mom that did hair, trial and error, and from wonderl blogs/sites like BBB. So glad I found you!!

How does your daughter feel about her hair?
She loves her "big hair" and beads and braids because she loves to shake them...We recently tried box braids and she is so in love with them!!!

Can we see her favorite style?
Yes

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If you had to share one hair care tip, what would it be?
Never let any one tell you whats best for your little one because it works for them....research research research!!! Be patient and except that you will have trial and error before you find the perfect product or routine thant works for your little one... if you ever do.

Product Review: Beija-Flor Naturals Creme Brulee

First day of school. Three strand twist out right when I dropped her off.

First day of school.

Beija Flor Naturals Creme Brulee

The claim: "This product is for the happy and nappy, cute and coily, wild and wavy, kinky, curly...well you get the picture! No matter what your ethnic background, if the hair that sits on top of your head can be described as such you know that highly textured hair in all its glory tends to be dry, brittle and prone to breakage."


Price: $12.95 8oz or $24.50 16oz


Ingredients: Herbal Complex (Nettle, Burdock, Rosemary, Mashmellow Root). Organic Shea Butter, Aloe Butter, Murumuru Butter, Organic Aloe Vera Extract, Grapeseed Oil, Coconut Oil, Vegetable Emulsifier, Stearic Acid, Xanthum, Vitamin E Paraben Free Preservative, Fragrance

Review: I bought this product in late July and received it in early August. I'm happy I went ahead and bought the 16oz because I have used it on A's hair several times since then. First of all, this product smells amazing! It kind of reminds me of carrot cake. I'm not very good at describing scents though. Let me just say, it smells good enough to eat! It's nice and creamy, kind of thick, but not too thick. This creme easily absorbs in the hair. Perfect for braid outs and twist outs. It provides a really nice hold. The picture above was the first time I used the creme brulee. I set her wet hair in some three strand twists using this product overnight. Her hair was soft and beautifully defined in the morning. Even better, when I picked her up from school (almost 7 hours later), her hair practically looked and felt the same! See below for more pictures.

First day of school. Three strand twist out when I picked her up about 7 hours later.

Large/medium single braids done on wet hair with creme brulee. Click to enlarge. See the shine?

Boho braid with braid out (from above braids) with creme brulee.

Each time I have used this product her hair has remained well moisturized and her braid outs and twist outs have stayed defined, even after a long day at school. I look forward to experimenting some more with this product. I'm very pleased with this purchase and definitely plan on buying some more. By the way, I did use a discount code when I purchased this product. I think it was for 10% off. Unfortunately it is no longer valid but I will keep you all posted when they have another sale/discount code.

Visit Beija Flor Naturals online!

Picture of the Day: Long Natural Hair

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A rocking her natural hair all out!

Updates on A's Hair / Braided Ponytail

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Go "like" our Faceook Page for the latest updates on A's hair!

5 Back to School Hairstyles in 5 Minutes! Cute Simple Hairstyles + Natural Hair Tutorial - Beach Waves with No Heat, How to Grow Hair Longer

Check out these great videos by Urbanogcom on Youtube.

5 Back to School Hairstyles in 5 Minutes!

Beach Waves with No Heat on Natural Hair

Little Girl Detangles her Long Natural, Curly Hair

I was showing my daughter (Miss A!) how to detangle her hair tonight during wash time and she was so excited! She felt like such a big girl. She kept saying "look mama, I'm doing it! I'm doing my own hair!". It was the cutest thing ever so I decided to record a quick video of what she learned. She was a little shy in this video, not sure why but we hope you like it! :)

Her hair was wet with Herbal Essences Hello Hydration conditioner (old ingredients). I detangled the section for her before she began.

Product Review: Darcy's Botanicals Pumpkin Seed Conditioner

Darcy's Botanicals Pumpkin Seed Curl Moisturizing Conditioner


The claim: It doesn't get anymore moisturizing than pure Pumpkin Seed Oil! This one is for all of our lovely regulars who have been requesting it for a while:) Our moisturizing conditioner will help to soften, moisturize and condition your coils. We scented this one with a sweet smell of pumpkin.


Price: $12.00 8oz

Ingredients: Distilled Water, BTMS (a mild conditioning emulsifier), Pumpkin Seed Oil, Organic Virgin Coconut Oil, Japanese Camellia Oil, Cetyl Alcohol, Botanical Oil Complex, Hydrolyzed Oat Protein, Panthenol, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol and Fragrance.

Review: A had worn her hair out/in a ponytail for about a week so her curls were very tangled. I decided to take a chance instead of using some of our good old faithfuls. I bought Darcy's Botanicals a few weeks before and posted a review on a couple of their other products here. I applied a generous amount of this conditioner to A's freshly washed hair. I have to say, this stuff smells amazing. It reminds me of one of my favorite Thanksgiving treats, pumpkin pie! I was surprised at how easily I was getting her tangles out with my fingers. The pumpkin seed conditioner is nice and creamy, with a medium to thick consistency, easy to work into the hair. I wanted to try this as a leave-in so instead of rinsing out, I left all of the conditioner in and went ahead and banded her hair (see picture above). A's hair was still not dry by morning so if I try it as a leave-in again, I will definitely do a quick rinse or squeeze excess conditioner out of her hair. I can't say I loved it or hated it as a leave-in. I love it for detangling though so I think I may just go ahead and keep this as a rinse out conditioner. Overall, it was yummy and I can't wait to try it again!

www.darcysbotanicals.com